Details for Dartmoor National Park

Mysterious, enigmatic, majestic and imposing are just four of the words commonly used to describe Dartmoor National Park. Protected by National Park status it covers 954 square kilometres of moorland situated in the county of Devon in England. The area offers contrasting landscapes of spectacular, panoramic views, wide open spaces, wooded valleys and rapidly flowing rivers.

It is an ideal location for walkers, cyclists, climbers, kayakers and horse riders. But even to the less active amongst us it is a place of natural beauty and tranquillity. Dartmoor includes the largest area of granite formation in Britain. Estimated to have been formed around 390 million years ago during the Carboniferous period, it is littered with spectacular scenery.

Its famous tors, an old Gaelic name for hills, are granite structures, usually less than 5 metres high, which are scattered across the moorland. It is a landscape which encourages the visitor to explore the rugged terrain and to feel enchanted by the local wildlife. The most well-known creatures are the Dartmouth ponies, a breed of horse that has lived in the south West of England for centuries.

The ponies still roam wild on the moors but were once associated with being the work horses of the now obsolete Cornish tin mining industry. They are small animals with excellent stamina who can endure the harshness of the winter months here. They can be easily seen grazing alongside the cattle and sheep in the sweeping countryside.

No matter what season you visit Dartmoor you can still be sure of remarkable and impressive sights. Each time of year ensures a very different optical experience. In the spring and summer months you can witness the heathland emerging into full bloom providing a rich and vibrant kaleidoscope of...

purple, yellow and blue colours across the countryside. During the winter season the moor is at its most sparse visually with a backcloth of craggy, jagged and bleak terrain. The autumn period, with its low setting sun casts shadows across the skeleton of the park's archaeological features.

The atmosphere of the moorland has been the background to stories by Conan Doyle, Agartha Christie and countless others. More recently the area has been associated as the setting of 'War Horse'.

The highest settlement on Dartmoor is Princetown. There is a National Park Centre here which tells the 'Dartmoor Story', an interactive exhibition. It is also the location of the Dartmoor Prison Museum where the visitor can learn about the infamous penal establishment.

There are several small hamlets and historic market towns traversing the moors such as Okehampton and Bovey Tracey whilst picture postcard villages with thatched roofs include Lustleigh and Moretonhampstead. Further Visitor Centres can be found at Postbridge and Haytor. The pretty town of Ashburton offers a plethora of antique shops, galleries and places to eat. The River Dart Adventure Centre is close by. There really is something for everyone at the Dartmoor National Park whether you are seeking tranquillity or want to get active.